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Athlete WorkbookIllicit Drugs in Sport Education Program

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Illicit Drugs in Sport: Athlete Workbook

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Table of Contents

Introduction .................................................................................................................................................................. 4

What are illicit drugs? ................................................................................................................................................ 6

The harmful effects of illicit drugs ........................................................................................................................7

Your Future ...................................................................................................................................................................10

Your Character ............................................................................................................................................................. 12

Your Performance ...................................................................................................................................................... 15

Your Team ..................................................................................................................................................................... 17

You and the media ....................................................................................................................................................20

Celebration ...................................................................................................................................................................23

Making the right decision .......................................................................................................................................25

Getting more information or help .......................................................................................................................25

Illicit Drugs in Sport: Athlete Workbook4

Introduction

Welcome to the Illicit Drugs in Sport (IDiS) workbook for athletes.

Many athletes have had their careers cut short, and their lives turned upside down, by being involved or associated with illicit drugs.

When we say illicit drugs, we mean drugs that are illegal and have an effect on the mind or body. Many people call these ‘recreational drugs’ and they include things like cannabis, ecstasy, cocaine and amphetamines.

There is a lot to learn about illicit drugs in sport and this workbook is designed to take you through the issues. Briefly, there are a few key things you need to know.

These are that:1 illicit drug use is harmful to your health2 illicit drug use can affect your sporting performance - in or out of competition, during the

off-season, or on the weekend3 illicit drug use can affect your reputation and sporting career4 illicit drug use can affect your sporting team5 illicit drug use can impact on the community who support you 6 participating in sport supports a healthy lifestyle.

Most athletes choose not to use illicit drugs. If you are one of them, you should be congratulated on your choice. We still encourage you to work your way through this workbook as it has some good information about helping friends and staying safe when you are out in public.

The high costYou may know from experiences with friends or from information you have heard or read that the use of, or association with, illicit drugs can come at a huge cost to you personally and to your sporting future. Think about the potential:

> Physical damage to your body> Psychological problems> Decreased performance> Loss of contracts and reputation> Negative effects on your team, coach, family, friends, etc.

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How to use this workbookThis workbook is designed to be used during an IDiS workshop. You will be instructed by the presenter to complete the activities at various times during the workshop. You may be asked by the presenter to show your completed workbook to ensure you engaged with the activities, but you will not have to hand it in. It’s a good idea to hang onto this workbook so you can go back over any information after the workshop.

What you won’t have to doYou will not have to write down any of your personal experiences with drugs, or those of friends or team mates.


What are illicit drugs?

Before we discuss the effects that illicit drugs can have on your health, sporting performance, team and career, let’s take a quick look at what we mean when we say ‘illicit drugs’.

Illicit means illegal. So any drug that is illegal falls into the category of illicit.

Therefore, if you are caught using, or in possession of, these drugs you can face criminal proceedings. This can mean court appearances and possibly a criminal record or even jail.

Illicit drugs fall into three main categories:1 Stimulants Stimulant drugs speed up the central nervous system and can make users feel more awake,

alert and confident. Stimulants include drugs such as cocaine and meth/amphetamines like speed, ice and ecstasy.

2 Depressants Depressant drugs affect the central nervous system by slowing down the messages moving

between the brain and the body, slowing down breathing and heart rates. Depressants include drugs such as cannabis, GHB and opioids like heroin. Alcohol is also a depressant.

3 Hallucinogens Hallucinogenic drugs distort the user’s perception of reality. People who have taken them

may see or hear things that aren't really there. Hallucinogens include LSD, magic mushrooms and ketamine.

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The harmful effects of illicit drugs

As you are committed to improving your athletic performance, it’s important that you are aware that the use of illicit drugs can seriously impair the functioning of your mind and body, reducing your ability to train and compete at an optimal level.

Drugs affect the mind and body in different ways and the majority can stay active for up to 36 hours after use. Some drugs can be detected after an extended period of time, for days or weeks in either urine or blood tests, and up to months later in hair samples.

New methodologies for detecting the use of illicit drugs are being developed all the time and may be introduced into drug testing programs without notice.

In some cases, the effects of illicit drug use can be long-lasting or permanent.

Short-term effects of stimulant useStimulants generally stimulate the central nervous system and increase heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature and metabolism. For athletes, this can be dangerous when training or performing as stimulants can generate irregular heartbeat and even physical collapse.

Stimulants can:

> increase nervousness and irritability, making it hard to concentrate in competition or training> distort judgment and perception > cause headaches, stomach cramps, blurred vision and dizziness> cause agitation, anxiety, panic, aggression and paranoia> disturb sleep, including causing insomnia> increase the likelihood of ignoring injury warning signs> increase the body temperature, heart rate, sweating and lactic acid production> cause seizures and heart failure> suppress appetite, affecting energy levels and ability to recover and refuel optimally

following training or competition.

Long-term effects of stimulant useThe potential long-term effects of stimulant use can include:

> memory loss and the development of psychological problems> increased risk of stroke> malnutrition > dental problems such as excessive teeth grinding > heart, lung and/or kidney problems> chronic sleep problems.


Short-term effects of depressantsDepressants slow down the central nervous system and the messages moving between the brain and the body. They can be problematic for athletes and their ability to perform optimally as concentration, balance, coordination and response time in unexpected situations are all negatively affected. Depressants can increase appetite, which affects body fat levels and weight management. They can also increase the time it takes to recover from soft tissue injury as they can increase blood flow to the injured area.

Depressants can also:

> increase dehydration> decrease the likelihood of carrying out appropriate recovery strategies.

Long-term effects of depressant useThe potential long-term effects of depressant use include:

> high risk of addiction> respiratory problems> chronic sleep problems> psychological problems including paranoia and suicidal thoughts> long-term changes in brain function> changes in eyesight.

Short-term effects of hallucinogen useHallucinogens have an impact on perception, affecting all senses and resulting in erratic behaviour. They can alter a person’s thinking, sense of time, space and management of emotions. They can cause changes in appetite, affecting an athlete’s diet, nutrition, energy levels and ability to recover and refuel optimally following training or competition. Hallucinogens can also reduce coordination and affect physical response time. They can also reduce sensitivity to pain which may exacerbate injury.

Hallucinogens can also:

> increase body temperature and cause sweating, sometimes alternating with chills and shivering

> increase breathing, heart rate and blood pressure> blur vision and cause dizziness> disorganise thoughts and distort sensory processing, which causes auditory and visual

hallucinations and confusion> cause stomach cramps, nausea and vomiting> increase mood fluctuations including depression, anxiety, agitation and panic> in large doses, cause convulsions and coma, and result in heart and lung failure> cause paranoia.

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Long-term effects of hallucinogen useThe potential long-term effects of hallucinogen use include:

> panic attacks> depression, anxiety, and flashbacks> paranoid delusions.

Other long-term effects illicit drug use

Other long-term effects of illicit drug use may include:

> increased risk of developing major psychological problems> loss of job> breakdown of relationships> death by overdose.

AddictionAddiction develops as a function of the physical and mental desire that the body has for the altered state that the drug induces.

Different drugs have different levels of physical addiction with ice, crack cocaine and heroin being some of the worst. Coming down or withdrawing from any drug can be a difficult process as the body tries to adjust to functioning without the drug. The comedown effect of some drugs can be very intense and include acute physical pain. The only way to alleviate this pain is to have more of the drug and the whole cycle repeats itself.

Mental or psychological addiction can be just as much of a problem. There is little understanding of who might be more prone to drug addiction, but researchers believe that everyone has the potential to become addicted, irrespective of:

> income> education level> perception of self-worth> fitness, or> resilience.

The message is simple: everyone is prone to addiction, so it would be a mistake to think that it could not happen to you.


Your Future

Your future, what you can achieve during your sporting career and afterwards in other areas that may or may not be related to sport, is important.

Your sporting futureYour ability to focus your mind, coupled with a body in peak physical form, will greatly aid you in performing at your best.

However, your character and reputation can also affect your ability to achieve your sporting goals. These are often collectively referred to as an athletes’ ‘brand’. High profile sports people have great brand strength, whereas people associated with illicit drugs or other undesirable behaviour have poor brand strength.

Clubs, teams and sponsors are attracted to strong brand athletes. They want to be associated with athletes who bring value to their club, their sport, or their products.

You may well be a brilliant athlete, but clubs/sponsors will be reluctant to take on someone with a history of association with illicit drugs or other undesirable behaviour. Athletes are viewed as role models by both the sporting and general communities. They will expect you to be ‘clean’ and any hint of association with illicit drugs or poor behaviour may damage your future sporting prospects.

After sportThe strength of your personal brand carries on well after your sporting career is over. Many athletes continue to work in the sporting industry long after their athletic careers end. Some, like Dawn Fraser, can still earn money from advertising more than 45 years after their sporting career finished.

A person whose name (brand) is associated with illicit drugs will simply not have the same ability to gain employment.

By making the smart choice now, you ensure that you can continue to receive value from all of the hard effort you put into your athletic career.

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Activity 1Write down your short-term and long-term sporting goals (for example, make the grand final this year, make squad selection, make the Commonwealth or Olympic Games team, or achieve a certain time).

In the box below write down your longer-term goals related to your career after sport. It might be journalism, coaching, administration, or something entirely different.

Now, imagine that you and some friends are driving and are pulled over by the police. They discover a quantity of illicit drugs in the car. Your association becomes very public.

How would this event affect your current goals in your sporting career?

How would this affect your long-term goals after your sporting career is over?


Your Character

By character we mean the qualities that make an athlete different from many other people - the drive and discipline within you that makes you get up every morning and push your mind and body to the very limits of your capabilities to achieve your best. It is one of the reasons why people admire athletes.

You may not want anything to do with drugs because you know they will undermine your character and what you are trying to achieve.

So let’s take a look at how to stay true to who you are.

Being true to yourselfIllicit drug use will affect your performance and future - meaning you will not realise your full potential and, as a result you will not be true to yourself.

Illicit drug use will reduce any chance you have to be the fastest, strongest, most skilled athlete you can be. Whether illicit drug use impairs your ability by a small amount or totally destroys your athletic career, they will take away your chance for you to be your best.

Making the hard choicesSome people, like your school friends or colleagues, may give you a hard time because you choose not to use drugs. However, keep in mind that:

> they are trying to validate their own bad choices; and> saying ‘no’ reinforces your character and can be empowering, thereby building your resilience.

Self-discipline is a great strength.

People admire athletes like you every day because you have the self-discipline to make the hard choices and dedicate yourself to perfecting your performance. By saying ‘no’ to drugs, you enhance your own self-discipline.

ConsequencesOne of the down-sides of illicit drug use is that it tends to occur in social settings; they are often taken with other people. At a minimum, the person who gave them to you will know, and other people are bound to find out.

Now imagine that every time you sign an autograph, talk to sponsors or the media, or even just when you’re out in public, that someone could walk up to you and say “Hey it’s you, remember when we were at that party and had a few lines together?” Every day you will be looking over

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your shoulder and worrying that someone will open their mouth and you will have to deal with the fallout.

The fact that someone else knows what you have done may continue to bother you and may become a distraction lurking in the back of your mind that might affect your sporting performance.

The best and only way to avoid this is to never participate in the use of illicit drugs

Being a role modelSome people say that when you sign your first autograph you really know you are a role model. The truth is that if you are good at your sport you will already be a role model. People you don’t even know will look up to you as an example of the things they value.

Children, parents, old friends and other athletes will begin to admire you for what you have done to get to where you are today and for what you have achieved.

This is great in some ways and can feel fantastic when people want to be associated with you, but it comes with responsibilities:

> you are held to a higher standard of behaviour than the general public > children model themselves on your sporting moves, plays and efforts, and often they model

your other behaviours, for example, what you say, do, wear and buy.Like it or not, you have a responsibility to these unknown people.

That responsibility extends to promoting a healthy lifestyle.

Being good and being greatEvery athlete faces challenges that they must overcome, such as injuries, bad performances and defeat.

The difference between someone good and someone great is how they face these challenges. Saying ‘no’ to drugs is one more challenge that builds your character. Making the right decision gives you that extra confidence just like a great training session will do.

That is the power of making hard choices. It fuels your self-esteem, your inner strength and can lead you on to greatness.

Planning and decision makingPlanning ahead makes it easier to make the right decision and avoid illicit drugs. Being prepared gives you strength and helps to build resilience.

Every decision you make towards your sporting goal is another step that develops your resilience and helps you to make the right decision in a situation where illicit drugs may be available.


Activity 2We all have different strengths. For some it might be focus, for others it might be self discipline. In the box below write down some of your strengths that make up your unique character as an athlete:

Suggestions: focused, determined, persistent, stubborn, fighter, team player, funny, quiet achiever, serious, disciplined, motivated, fit, healthy, love to win, competitive.

Now write down a situation where someone has looked up to you or admired your sporting performance. Write down what they said.

How do you think that person’s admiration would change if they found out you had been involved with illicit drugs? What would they say now?

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Your Performance

Your bodyThe use of illicit drugs can have a serious effect on your body and mind.

These effects can last for days. They can compromise your training and competition. While the effect may be large or small, depending on the type and amount of the drug taken, there will be some effect on you.

Some drugs increase your body’s activity rate, leading to periods of great physical exertion and effort. Drugs like speed give an elevated sense of ability so people end up being active for extended periods or not sleeping for days. Other drugs, like cannabis, slow down the metabolism and reduce your activity rate leading to fatigue and lethargy. Ecstasy will do both – keep your body active for an extended period followed by a ‘come down’ of low mood and a feeling of exhaustion.

The effects of illicit drugs can make it extremely difficult for you to get up and go to training. Even if you do get to training it’s unlikely that you will be able to exert yourself the way you normally would as your body will be tired and unresponsive.

Your mindDrugs like ecstasy and cocaine can appear to provide a sense of wellbeing. However, while the drug is active, your body is working overtime to purge itself of the unnatural substance. It will attempt to try and filter out the substance, or change it into something less harmful.

As your body does this work, the brain is subjected to extreme effects that can result in depression, anxiety, fear, paranoia and other emotional responses.

This is called ‘coming down’ and can result in serious psychological problems.

Your ability to mentally prepare yourself for training or competition during a ‘come down’ period is seriously compromised, if not impossible.

The effect on performanceThere is no chance of your mind and body being able to participate in sport to the levels you are normally used to if you are affected by illicit drugs.

This period of degraded performance includes the period that the drug is active in your system as well as some time afterwards.

The impact of illicit drug use on your performance may well be noticed by your coach and team mates.


Activity 3Whilst training sessions will vary in intensity and duration by design, athletes are generally expected to train to the best of their abilities. At times there may be things that negatively affect your training performance.

In the box below rate your last five training sessions on how you would score (out of ten), your physical exertion, and how close you were mentally to being ‘in the zone’.

Session Mental effort Physical effort

Example: ‘Pool session’ 6/10 7/10

Session 1 (most recent)

Session 2

Session 3

Session 4

Session 5

Provide an explanation for a lower score in any of the sessions. Examples may be: a bad night’s sleep, a fight with a partner, an injury or something as simple as a traffic delay that made you late for training.

In comparison, how do you think illicit drugs might have affected your training performance?

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Your Team

When we are referring to a ‘team’ we don’t only mean the other athletes that you train or compete with, we also mean the coaches, officials, administrators, parents and friends who help you pursue your sporting goals.

There are many people like your parents or those within local clubs, who have invested huge amounts of time to assist you to get to where you are today. If you don’t already, you need to consider these people as part of your team.

Most athletes recognise that their team is a vital part in helping them achieve their best. The team provides support, guidance and encouragement in good times and in bad.

A positive team environment encourages us to try harder and gives us a feeling of belonging. If athletes within a team are not pulling their weight, the other team members feel it and put pressure on them to lift their game. If the athletes don’t, they may find themselves off the team.

This sense of belonging can be a powerful motivator. It forces us to try harder, to earn the respect and support of our team mates. The friendships that develop in a sporting team can last for a lifetime and people are often drawn to participate in sport for this reason.

The emotional costWhen things don’t go well in the team, the emotional drain and the resulting loss in performance can be devastating. For example, if two people in the team are having a long-standing dispute about lifestyle choices and efforts at training, it can raise immense conflict in the rest of the team. People start to take sides, whisper in the change rooms and a whole lot of energy is spent talking about who should do what.

All this takes emotional energy away from the team’s goals and redirects it into personal conflict. Without exception, this reduces the team’s playing or training performance. This can negatively impact on the team’s playing or training performance and limit the input that individuals have to offer.

Guilt by association Another thing for you to be mindful of is the potential ‘guilt by association’ that can occur if you are seen with other people who are using or are involved with illicit drugs.

If someone in the team gets caught using illicit drugs, then it is possible for the rest of the team or those around them to be implicated or suspected of being involved as well.

Imagine you are one of three athletes that go to the pub every Friday after training and then go out on the town afterwards.


Then, on Monday morning everyone hears that one of the three got caught on Friday night with marijuana. Immediately everyone will assume that all three people, including you, were involved in smoking marijuana.

If you hang around people you suspect of using illicit drugs, you risk being tarred with the same brush

Speak upThere is an important, but often overlooked, element of being a team player - speaking up. If you suspect or know that a team mate is using, or is associated with, illicit drugs then say something to them.

It takes courage to speak up. It can be difficult, especially if the other player is older than you. Sometimes being a friend is hard, but losing a friend to drugs is even harder. Let them know you are concerned, point out where they can get help and highlight that their behaviour isn’t in line with team values.

If you don’t feel comfortable talking to them then you should talk to someone else in the team or the coach. You have to protect yourself and your team even if the other person is unable to make the right decision.

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Activity 4In the box below write down what your ‘team’ means to you. This may mean a team that you play in, or the people who support you in sport.

Suggestions: Support, friendship, fun times, strength, effort, loyalty, etc.

Who are the people who’ve supported you to where you are today? Write down their names. This is your support team.

Now, pick one of those people and write down how you think they would feel if you had to ring them one night and tell them you have just been caught using drugs. Write down what you think they would say to you.

Now think of your whole team, what impact would an illicit drugs incident have on them? How would it change the way they support you?


You and the media

As your sporting performance increases, your fame, profile and public image will increase as well. This is a great thing. Signing autographs, talking to sponsors, and endorsing products may all be opportunities that come your way, and let’s remember that increased media attention can be a positive – it can highlight your successes and elevate your profile.

This increase in public profile can be a double-edged sword. It allows you to potentially earn more money, but it makes you different from other members of the community.

You are different; you are not like members of the general public. You will be held to a higher standard of behaviour than everybody else. People (including other athletes) expect you to be squeaky clean, well behaved, polite and most of all, drug free.

Your actions may be scrutinised, your every move may be under the microscope. The higher your profile the greater the level of interest the media will have in you, your activities and your social circle.

This may not seem fair, after all you are a member of the public and may feel entitled to your privacy. You have to remember that very few people believe that actions of public figures should remain private.

Most mobile phones can be used as a camera, an immediate extension of the media, and your actions can be broadcast on the Internet within five minutes of you doing something.

If you go out to a club, keep in mind that staff have been known to be paid to take photos of any well known people who come in. You might have a great night out and the next morning wake up to images of you on the Internet falling down some steps. You may not even have been drinking, but the headline is likely to suggest otherwise.

If you extend this thinking to illicit drugs, you must always remember that what you do can be in the news within minutes, sometimes from the most unlikely sources. It might be an old school friend, a member of staff at a club, a team mate or someone you don’t even know.

The only way to protect yourself is not to engage in any compromising behaviour. This includes the taking of, or being linked to, illicit drugs.

Code of ConductEvery sport in Australia has a code of conduct. This document outlines to members of the sport how everyone is supposed to behave. It may cover spectators, parents, athletes, officials and administrators and will normally make reference to bringing the sport into disrepute.

You should be aware of your sport’s code of conduct. It is your responsibility to ensure that you are familiar with the content of this document.

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Media policy As you move into the higher levels of your sport there is another document that will govern your behaviour. It is your sporting organisation’s media policy.

Any player under contract to a sport will have to be aware of the sport’s media policy, and behave in accordance with it. It is your responsibility to be aware of the content of the media policy.

Check the statements below to see if you’re up to date:

I have read my sport’s media policy I know what I can say to the media I know what I can’t say to the media


Activity 5Think back over the past couple of weeks or months and write down any indiscretions committed by an elite or high profile athlete that received negative publicity due to bad behaviour.

What do you think that person went through when it was reported?

What do you think the reaction to the report would be from the people within their sport and the fans of their sport?

How do you think people’s perception of this person has changed?

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Celebration

As an athlete you work extremely hard, some would say tirelessly, to perfect your performance and achieve your best. When you do that you are entitled to celebrate, win or lose.

It may not seem fair, but when you do celebrate you’ll be doing it under increased scrutiny from the media and the public. Remember that just about everybody’s phone has a camera and as we said before, images of you can be on the Internet in minutes.

You need to keep this in mind when you are out celebrating.

There have been examples of teams going on end-of-season trips, indulging themselves heavily and the incidents ending up all over the papers.

Remember, sports people behaving badly are great fodder for the media, you don’t even have to be high profile. Obviously, the more high profile you are the more likely you are to be recognised, and the more likely it is that you’ll be targeted.

This is not just about drinking too much alcohol when celebrating. It includes illicit drug use as well. If you are out celebrating and you are seen in the presence of people who are, or you are, participating in illicit drug use then it could well tarnish your reputation and career.

Celebrating can be done in many ways that do not include drinking alcohol or drug taking. Here are some tips from elite athletes about things they do to celebrate:

> plan celebrations in a closed environment, like a friend or family member’s house> treat yourself to a shopping trip> get out and about – go sight seeing> travel around to other destinations near your competition venue for a look around> sleep in> eat chocolate, do some baking or indulge in your favourite food> take time away from your coach> relax – go to the beach, catch a movie or have a ‘couch potato’ day of DVDs> organise another activity for the team, such as paintball or go-karting> do something opposite to your normal routine – if a team player, try a solitary activity

(like surfing), or if a solo sportsperson, organise a group event or activity.


Activity 6If someone asks you to come to the local pub after training for a drink, what do you do? What risks do you see in going or not going?

If a friend asks you to their place for a party, what would you do? What risks do you see in going or not going?

If a friend asks you to a party at someone else’s house that you do not know, what would you do? What risks do you see in going or not going?

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Making the right decision

As an athlete you don’t just turn up and start competing. You train month after month to perfect your performance so that when you hit the field, the pool or track, it is rehearsed so many times it just comes naturally.

It is the same with illicit drugs. The best way to protect yourself from the impact of illicit drugs is to decide not to use them and prepare yourself with strategies to support this decision.

The first thing to decide is not to use illicit drugs, to limit exposure to them and avoid any association with them. Make the conscious decision in your mind not to use illicit drugs.

The next step is to decide how you will respond if someone offers you drugs. One of the easiest and non-confrontational ways to respond is to simply say “no thanks”.

Decide what you would do if you’re invited to a party or function where you suspect there might be drugs. If you decide not to go, you will eliminate the risk of being associated with illicit drugs.

Finally, decide how you would respond if a team mate was in trouble with drugs. Be aware of how you can support them in seeking help. You could talk to them about it, tell them you’re concerned about them, and suggest they talk to someone about it such as a counsellor who can help in person or on-line. You could speak to the coach about it. Or you could choose to stay away from them.

There is no right or wrong response, but it helps to think about these things beforehand and it makes you more prepared in case you do come across a friend who uses illicit drugs.

Getting more information or help

For more information about illicit drugs or to get help for yourself or your athletes contact: 1800 250 015 (free call) or see www.australia.gov.au/drugs

www.idis.gov.au

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